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just a quick note before i go take some drugs and go back to bed....firstly, thanks for all the sweet comments on my recent posts. secondly, i will be working on a series over at side by side, based on what if #42...finally: cough, sneeze, sniffle.....
and i just discovered shula is sewing again, yay!
....i have a cold so i probably won't post much for a few days. just wanted to record the method i am using for the cypress motifs in the previous post.
...i am drawing tiny designs, about 1.5" in general overall. i use micron pens, one of my "store bought" tools. (ok- i buy things here and there) they are fine line, come in a few colors and are permanent.
i outlined the design with one or two rounds of split back stitch, 1 or 2 strands floss. then i fussy cut a scrap of fabric, trimming slightly larger than the empty space and tacking the piece in place with a stitch or 2....then needle turned and stuffed the edges under, fussy fitting inside the outline. the embroidered outline gives an edge to work against and acts like a little container.
i like the way it makes the small scrap seem part of the ground fabric. like it is all woven together. it is slightly raised off the surface. and you can recycle the tiniest scraps, some special part of a print or worn fabric. in just the right spot.
Dance, when you're broken open.
Dance, if you've torn the bandage off.
Dance in the middle of the fighting.
Dance in your blood.
Dance, when you're perfectly free.
-- Jelaluddin Rumi (13th century)
everyone deserves a place to scream out and object to the suffering of others and give them hope. 3 cypress trees. amulet ...for a friend. for everyone. life trees. keepers of The Dance.
"fussy fit" applique, no mood for details now. stitching for healing.
the weather will be turning colder soon, and i have been stacking wood for the stove which i will use until i absolutely HAVE TO turn the oil burner on.
wood made me think of trees. and i already had 2 Ts 
made for Tonya's quilt class. she has posted the blogs of the members in her sidebar if you want to see what others are doing.
the pine tree was easy...so i made another one.
which looks like a tree after an earthquake. E could be for earthquake i guess. i was really thinking elephant.
then came the apple tree, after all, it is fall, and i love apples. i suppose A could be for apple tree too but we'll see. i like the apple tree.
and the feather crossed my path on the way to work today . i think this is pigeon. i hope may be acey has a story for me on this one. my next quilt will have many feathers.
after all i have this amazing print...
sent so generously along with other treasures from stephanie...
i am making a second post today, because i did finished that round trip challenge. i guess. if i had no deadline i would probably keep going. i always have a hard time perceiving "finished". 
my exercise in limited time today was good for me. it got me away from planning for a while and it opened up a new idea. i realized i might use this portable collage technique to freshen up my approach to the garden section of the quilt. i can work on the garrden in sections and apply these collages as applique patches. to fill in the blanks. each one can be a little patch of growth. and the fact that they are worked separately will generate more variation and be more like the way things grow. and so it grows.
depending on which train i ride, i travel approximately 60 minutes to and from work. normally i have a project with me. not today. i left it home, not on purpose. (i am 56, you know how it is...) all i had today was a tangle of threads and a scissor and a needle stuck through the page of my journal. but in that nest of threads i found a few pieces of fabric. ( i always have scraps somewhere. in my pockets, in my bag...in my hair. you know how it is... )
so i am a snail on a train, trying to beat the clock. half done (although by the time i challenged myself, i only had 15 minutes... do you think i can finish this on the way home? i hope so, the world may end tomorrow. 
.....i always try to be very conscientious when i sew. i don't like to waste things, i don't like to use too much electricity, i recycle and lean toward "unplugged". the craft world can be very consumer oriented. i understand, but that is not where i am coming from. i don't like to buy things. i like to work with less. i am not a fan of tricks or gadgets. just more trash. if i could make my own needles i would. i have to work to make a living but i can't do that with stitching. i like to take my time and do it for free. so i use my free time , on a commuter train and it costs nothing.
somewhere along the way, i started reusing basting thread. and on a whim today i realized why not baste this with thread i will be using for quilting and embellishing?
TIP: Baste according to plan...its a great way to test out colors schemes. it is a great way to precut lengths of thread to size....to eliminate the tangle of threads if you want to be portable. baste with a variety of strands and colors, and just pulled them out as needed . baste with no waste.
...this one has become a gift, so although it was a what if, it is over here at spirit cloth now...it is for a friend diagnosed with breast cancer. it is pink...and i changed my mind on this a lot ...so i am calling it "working through it".
the best things in life are free.
this one became about being who you are.
my camera is broken, scanning for now.
i added layer of lightweight linen to stabilize it for stitching.
the combo of fabrics, the contrast in weights, adds "personality". we all have that mix....?.....
the head is a pin wale cream corduroy. embroidered, 2 strands floss.
the appliqué wing is a sheer cotton with a woven satin stripe and a silver metallic thread( turning the edge gave a nice border)
the background is a natural flax/linen over dyed pink. dirty pink.
the horn is a yarn dyed men's shirting. recycled.
mix it up. it's the fun of it.
since the horse block is 3" x 4", i am considering this a pink mini...
unplugged, still my cup of tea......
...a black and white braid for the tale tail of "opportunity" and then i thought i would create a sense of magic by continuing the black and white through to the leaves. i thought that would be good.
i just didn't have the energy to deal with temptation
since the quilt sandwich is already in place, i am using hide and seek stitching here. that is i am only stitching on the surface, and the thread slides between the 2 layers and doesn't
come through to the other side. (unless i want it to...although it has been known to try it on its own)... it hides for a while until i bring it back to the surface. double running stitch. white, then black. black and white is my personal symbol for magic.
i need more fairy figures for the quilt. ideas.keepers of innocence and make believe.(sigh...) 
If the path before you is clear,
you are probably on
someone else's.
-Carl Jung